


The Insufferable Woman

by Coromandel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-23 14:44:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coromandel/pseuds/Coromandel
Summary: Severus' wife is acting strangely. Is this the end of their marriage, or the beginning of something new?





	1. Slipping Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FawkesyLady (Tarma)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarma/gifts).



> Well, shoot me - this was supposed to be a Christmas present, but a mixture of my own forgetfulness (for which I apologise profusely) and my inability to come up with a good enough ending (which is now written and fixed) caused the delay. Since we're all in Chrimbo Limbo, I decided to split this short one-shot into two short chapters, one as a Christmas Gift, and one as a New Year's gift. :))
> 
> This is a side-fic to my main one, Tea Black, which is AU. So I suppose this one is AU to the AU... youknowwhatImean. :)
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, FawkesyLady, I love you dearly and I hope you'll enjoy this fic <3

_ You’ve been acting so strangely lately. Alice, dearest, why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?  _

Severus laid in bed on his back with one arm tucked under his head. It was late, but he could not sleep. Next to him slept his wife of ten years, her small form illuminated by the moonlight seeping in through the net curtains. She was snoring quietly, peaceful and sweet, like she had done for the last fifteen years. Severus looked at the woman who had brought such joy into his life. His devotion to her was unbreakable, his adoration unrestrained, but the fear that had taken hold in his heart in the last three or so months chilled the blood in his veins. 

_ We’ve been through so much together. Alice, my love, why did you shut me out? What’s going on in your mind? Please, just say a word, and I will do anything… anything... _

Her love had kept his demons at bay for years, but now, shrouded in the calm silence of the night, they came back with a vengeance to feed on his tormented mind. He could not work out what happened to his Alice. Although she was there in the flesh, her mind was a million miles away. She was distracted, distant, cold. She refused his caresses, and would not tell him what was wrong. More than once he had walked in on her as she discussed something with Luna Longbottom in hushed tones, and they would both fall silent as soon as he entered the room. He could not get past the high walls she had erected. It killed him inside to watch her slip away, a little more with each passing day, and by now, he felt that he had only a tenuous grasp of her with the very tips of his fingers. He was terrified, of her, for her, for himself. Had he done something to hurt her? Had she… met somebody else? 

Was he no longer good enough? 

Was he ever?

He sighed heavily and turned his head to look out of the bedroom window. Whatever was going on with Alice, he was prepared to fight for her, to bring her mind and heart back to him. How he was going to do that, he did not know.

At length, Severus’ eyes grew as heavy as lead, and he erected a weak occlumentic shield to drown out the chaotic thoughts whirling in his mind. He concentrated on breathing steadily, and finally, the choking, heart-wrenching emotional pain loosened its hold over him and he fell into a light, fitful sleep. 

 

* * *

 

6am. Severus pulled the covers up over Alice’s shoulders, lovingly tucking her in and shielding her from the chill. She did not stir, and continued sleeping peacefully on her side. Severus sneaked quietly out of the bedroom and made his way downstairs, where he put the kettle on. As he waited for the water to boil, he took out a variety of gifts from the cupboard under the stairs and laid them under the Christmas Tree in their tiny sitting room. He had wrapped them two days prior, when Alice had gone out for another lunch date with Mrs Longbottom. This year, he had gone to greater lengths than ever to buy her the most special gifts he could find, sparing no expense, desperate to show her just how much he loved and adored her, even after all these years. 

He lit the fire and fed the owls inbetween sips of black coffee, and laid out the ingredients for a simple breakfast on the countertop. After a moment of contemplating, he settled for eggs benedict, one of Alice’s favourites, mercifully quick and easy to make. It was Christmas Day, and Merlin knew, he would spend most of the day in the kitchen today.  


	2. The Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, Fawkesy dearest :) Here's the end of the story, but I think it needs an Epilogue. Yes? No? Perhaps?

Severus dished up and decided it was time to wake up the Sleepyhead upstairs, as he did every Christmas day. As he turned around to exit the kitchen, he heard her soft footsteps on the staircase. His heart sank in his chest. She hadn’t waited for him. 

 

He watched her warily as she stood in the doorway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other with uncertainty written across her face, as though fighting a battle with herself, coming to a decision. Severus observed her with trepidation, reflecting on how she had changed visually since they first became a couple. She had cropped her hair to just above the shoulders now and added thin highlights, and wore considerably less makeup than in the past, just a hint of pink lipstick and mascara. She had always been small and skinny, but her features had lost the roundness of youth a long time ago as she morphed into the mature woman she was today right in front of his eyes. The war and the stresses of everyday life may have aged her somewhat prematurely, but to Severus, she was still his Empress, the one mistress of his heart, regardless of the lines on her face. 

 

His throat constricted as she finally stepped into the kitchen. This was the first time she hadn’t greeted him with a beaming smile on Christmas Day. There was a sense of purpose, urgency glistening in her eye, a witch who had come to a decision and there was no turning back. Severus paled. This was it. She was leaving. 

 

‘Merry Christmas’, he croaked, the overwhelming terror engulfing his brain. 

 

She replied, ‘Merry Christmas,’ her voice quiet and soft, apologetic. 

 

The witch and wizard stood a few paces apart, appraising each other wordlessly. The tension was palpable, a heavy weight pressing on Severus’ chest. Alice broke the silence. ‘I think we should talk.’ 

 

Severus whispered, ‘Alice…’, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand and a shake of her head. 

 

‘Now.’ She turned and exited the kitchen and beckoned for him to follow. ‘Please.’ 

 

Severus followed her into the sitting room on wooden legs, his heart beating a rampant tattoo in his chest, its pounding so furious he thought it would tear his chest open. She gestured for him to sit in the comfy chair by the fire, and he complied immediately, light-headed. He was not ready for this. 

 

He looked around the sitting room. This was their home, one they had searched for months for, decorated and furnished together, maintained and cared for lovingly for so many years. They had chosen every rug, every picture and every trinket together. They shared so many wonderful evenings, filled with laughter and love and wine, sleepless nights spent in each other’s arms, lazy Sunday mornings discussing the current affairs. This was their home, their life. How could she throw it all away? 

Alice opened a drawer and produced a small package, wrapped in plum paper. She handed it to him. ‘Open it.’ She stated flatly, looking away into the middle distance. She hadn’t even glanced at the mountain of gifts under the tree. 

 

Confused, Severus eyed the small package suspiciously. At length, the tore the paper open with shaking hands. His wife stood with her back against the wall, arms akimbo, her expression unreadable, reminding him of the mask of stone he used to wear. She was as cold as ice. 

 

Severus dropped his gaze and found himself staring at a plain white box. Unsure what to expect, he lifted the lid and opened his gift. The sight of it made his heart skip a beat. 

 

His head whipped up sharply as he held up a pair of miniature dragonhide boots modeled after his own, so tiny that they could both fit in the palm of his hand. ‘What…?’ He asked.

 

His wife gave a lopsided smile. ‘Yes, I’m pregnant. I’m sorry.’ 

 

Severus stared at her, wide eyed for a moment. His mind was whirling rapidly and he struggled to breathe as he processed her words. He muttered, ‘I’m pregnant, I’m sorry…’ and shot out of his chair and out of the room. 

 

He ran into the kitchen and vomited in the sink. He splashed his face with ice-cold water. Mind completely blank, he grabbed the turkey and shoved it into the preheated oven, slamming its doors shut. He fell into a chair at the breakfast table and put the miniature boots on the surface, staring at them blankly. ‘Pregnant… sorry… pregnant… sorry…’ 

 

An age seemed to have passed before Alice entered the kitchen and sat down opposite Severus. She whispered, ‘I didn’t know how to tell you. I know you never wanted children.’

 

‘How… how far along are you?’ Severus croaked.

 

She replied, ‘Thirteen weeks. I’ve known for ten. I couldn’t… I had to keep this baby.’ 

 

‘Thirteen weeks…’ All the pieces of the jigsaw began falling together in Severus’ mind. The initial shock was slowly bleeding away, replaced with dull ache in his heart. His breath hitched. ‘For over two months I thought you were going to leave me. Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through?’ He looked at her then, really  _ looked _ at the woman he loved. He was a proud man, but in that moment, something inside him snapped. The love, the fear, the relief and the shock burst out of him in a flood of tears and he covered his face in his hands as he wept like never before. 

 

Alice stood before him, averting her gaze. ‘I thought you would leave.’ 

 

Severus roared, ‘Why?!’ 

 

She drew in a shaky breath. ‘I thought you didn’t want kids. Your… attitude to other people’s babies didn’t fill me with much confidence.’ 

 

Severus stood up to his full height and wiped his eyes. He walked up to his wife and placed one finger under her chin, tilting her head up, forcing her to look him in the eye. ‘Did you really think that I would be anything but delighted to have a child with  _ you _ ? Did you really think I would walk out on my, on our child? On the woman I love? After everything we’ve been through, do you really think so little of me?’ 

 

‘I was scared,’ Alice replied shakily and took his hand in both of hers. ‘It wasn’t… I didn’t plan this. Do you remember when we made love after the last party at Fred’s? I forgot all about the potion until… until I missed my period, and… I was so scared!’ 

 

Severus groaned, ‘Oh, you silly…’ and embraced her, planting soft, quick kissed on her forehead as he held her close. She felt so good in his arms, familiar and warm. She was his home, his witch, his life, and he would never let her go. He murmured, ‘You silly, insufferable woman. You must never, ever be afraid of me.’ 

 

She sighed, ‘I know,’ and buried her face in his chest. ‘I’m just glad you know now.’ 

 

Severus took a half-step back and gently lifted up her top, exposing her belly. His breath hitched. There it was, right in front of his eyes, a slight swell around her middle, so easily missed yet so obvious now. Slowly, he placed his hand on her belly as his eyes locked with hers. He gave her a searching look. ‘Mine.’ 

 

Alice whispered, ‘It’s a girl.’ 

 

If she was his Empress before, her admission now elevated her to a Goddess in Severus’ eyes. He stared at his wife with unadulterated wonder, knowing that from now on, he would worship the ground she walked on until the day he died. He kissed her then, a slow, sensual kiss through which he conveyed all the love he had for his girl - his  _ girls _ . And his love knew no bounds. 

 

‘Crowley…’ he breathed and wrapped one arm around her waist. They may have been married for a decade, but he still found himself chanting her maiden name in their sweetest, most intimate moments. ‘I said it before and I’ll say it again - you are going to be the death of me. Don’t ever do anything like this again.’

 

‘I won’t.’ Alice relaxed completely in his arms, allowing him to sway them gently from side to side. ‘I’m sorry. I really am.’ 

 

Severus smiled lightly and kissed the top of her head. ‘Well, we have the boots, and if I get to the shops early tomorrow, perhaps I’ll manage to find some children’s cauldrons and kits at half price…’ 

 

Alice smacked him on the arm and chuckled brightly. ‘It’ll be a while before you can even use them, you know!’ 

 

‘Gotta start ‘em early!’ Severus raised one elegant brow. ‘We don’t want that Potter sprog to beat our girl at potion making, would we?’ 

 

‘Competitive parenting already, are we?’ Alice wrinkled her nose. ‘Do you… smell something burning?’ 

 

Severus’ head shot up and he sniffed the air. ‘Oh shite. It’s the turkey!’ 

 

He sprinted to the oven and opened its doors, and a thick cloud of black, acrid smoke filled the room. He retrieved the turkey, which looked positively incinerated and completely inedible, sitting miserably in the tray with some roast potatoes that resembled sad lumps of coal. 

 

‘Well, Merry Christmas, my darling.’ Alice couldn’t contain a fit of good-natured giggles. ‘Shall we go to the pub for our meal?’ 

 

Severus looked at her with mock-scorn and officiously tossed aside the teatowel. ‘Merry Christmas, dear. Let’s go out and eat sub-standard reheated potatoes, soggy vegetables and dry meat.’


End file.
